Cobble bundler



l 1931 c. w. HAWTHOR E. 2,083,263

COBBLE BUNDLEH Filed April 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m MM 0 W 0 Mn q: E N

n I N H l w l My I I I.

I I I I I H [NVEN TOR CHARLE 5 W HAW TH DRIVE ATTORNEY June 8, 193 7.

COBBLE BUNDLER c. w. HAWTHORNE ,0 3, 63

Filed April 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet}- INVENTOR CHARLES MHA WTHORNE BYW/g ATTORNEY Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES COBBLE BUNDLER Charles W. Hawthorne, Worcester, Mass, as-

signor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 15, 1936, Serial No.74,543

13 Claims. (01. 242-81) This invention relates to cobble bundlers, and more particularly to machines for coiling waste rods or bars in steel mills and similar plants.

In rolling elongated metal products the stock occasionally fails to enter the guides or the roll passes in a proper manner, and as a result there is formed a tangled mass of metal known as a cobble. It is the practice to coil such a cobble into a compact bundle so that it may be readily handled and introduced into the open-hearth furnace for re-melting. While machines have been constructed heretofore to form such bundles, these prior machines have been very difficult and inconvenient to operate, and considerable manual labor has been required, particularly in removing the bundles from the machine.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a cobble bundler which will be comparatively easy and convenient to operate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cobble bundler which will require a minimum of manual labor in its operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cobble bundler so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the removal of the bundles from the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cobble bundler which will discharge the bundles automatically from the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cobble bundler which will be simple and rugged in construction and thoroughly reliable in operation.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the .art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cobble bundler;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine, with certain parts broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of an arbor; and

Fig. 7 is an end view of the arbor.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a horizontal rotatable arbor I!) having at one end a flange H which is secured to a similar flange l2 on one end of a horizontal shaft M. This shaft is supported in spaced bearings l5l5 mounted on a base or frame l6 therebeneath. A gear I8 is secured to the shaft l4 between the bearings l5, and this gear is driven by means of a pinion l9 carried by a second horizontal shaft 20 parallel to the shaft M. The shaft 20 is supported in spaced bearings 22-22 mounted on the base it. A gear 23 is secured to one end of the shaft 28, and this gear is driven by means of a pinion 24 carried by the shaft of a reversible electric motor 25 mounted on the base Hi. It will be apparent that with this construction the arbor It can be rotated in either direction at a speed considerably lower than that of the motor 25.

In order to confine the bundle laterally as it is being wound upon the arbor ID, the arbor is enclosed by a casing 21 having a pair of spaced upright side walls 2828, a bottom wall 29, and a rear wall 30 forminga continuation of the bottom wall. The bottom wall preferably slopes downwardly toward the front, and. the side walls preferably flare slightly outwardly in a downward and forward direction. The casing is open at the front and provided with an outwardly and forwardly flaring bell-mouth 32 through which the stock may be introduced and the completed bundle discharged. The side walls 28 are provided with aligned openings 3333, the arbor I0 extending through one of these openings and into the other. A heavy roller 34 is mounted within the casing 21 above the arbor Ill to force the stock into firm engagement with the arbor, the axis of the roller being substantially parallel to that of the arbor. The roller is provided at its ends with necks or trunnions 3535 which are located within vertical slots 36--36 in the side walls 28. With this construction the roller is free to move upwardly as the bundle increases in diameter.

In order to facilitate the removal of the completed bundle from the arbor ID, the arbor is provided on its outer surface with a helical rib 38 forming a screw-thread, which preferably has a relatively coarse lead. By reversing the direction of rotation of the arbor, it can be in effect unscrewed from the bundle. This action is assisted to some extent by tapering the arbor slightly, the diameter decreasing toward the unsupported end. Provision is made for securing the front end of the stock to the arbor so that it may be wound thereon. For this purpose a slot 39 is formed in the unsupported end of the arbor, this slot preferably extending entirely through the arbor diametrally. This slot is arranged in a helix of the same hand and substantially the same lead as the screw-thread 38.

It will now be apparent that removal of the completed bundle from the arbor ID will necessitate relative movement between the casing 21 and the arbor in an axial direction. In order to make such movement possible, I preferably provide a pair of horizontal rails 4l4l which extend laterally from the base I6 parallel to the axis of the arbor and beneath the casing 21.

In the operation of the invention the casing will '7 be placed in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the arbor l6 being stationary. One end of the stock will then be passed through the bell mouth 32 and inserted in the slot 39 in the arbor I 0. The motor 25 will next be started to rotate the arbor in a counter-clocki'v'isedirection as viewed in Fig. 4, (the screw-thread 38 in the illustrated embodiment being a right hand thread), and the rotatio'n'of the arbor will wind the stock thereon, the roller S 3 en'suringthe formation of a compact bundle. Upon completion of the'bundle, the direction of rotation of the motor 25 and arbor ill will be reversed by the operator. The frictional engagement of the bundle with the casing 21 will prevent the bundlefrom rotating with the arbor. Consequently, as aresult of the engagement of the screw thread 38 with the interior of the bundle, the bundle will be forced along the arbor in an axial direction to the right as viewed in Fig. 2, carrying the casing 21 with it. The helical formation of the slot -39 permits disengagement of the end of the stock from the arbor during this movement. As the casing approaches the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2, the bundle will have cleared the end of the arbor, and the weight of the roller 34 will cause the bundletobeejected automatically from the casing through the bell-mouth 32. This ejecting action is facilitated by the slope of the bottom wall 29 and the flare of the side walls 28. The casing .21 may then be pushed back to its original position in readiness for the next cobble.

The apparatus disclosed is comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and thoroughly reliable inoperation; The bundles arereadily formed and as, readilyremoved, a

minimum or" manual labor being required.

Having. thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patentis: 1..

1. A cobblerbundler comprising a rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, means to rotate the arbor and-form a bundle thereon which engages thescrew-thread, and means to effect a relative rotation of the arbor and bundle and thereby obtain a separation of the arbor and bundle in the axial direction.

2. A cobble bundler comprising a rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, and means to rotate the arbor first in one direction to form a bundle thereon which engages the screw-thread and then in the opposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom axially.

:3. A cobble bundler comprising a rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, yieldable means associated with the arbor to force the stock,

into firm engagement therewith, and means to rotate the arbor first in one direction to'form a bundle thereon which engages the screw-thread and then in the oppositedirection to discharge the bundle therefrom axially. a

4. A cobbler bundler comprising a rotatable arbor havinga screw-thread thereon, means to support the arbor at one end, the arbor having a slot in the otherend arranged in a helix of the same hand as the screw-thread, and means to rotate the arbor in one direction to form a bundle thereon and. in the opposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom.

5. A cobble bundler comprising a rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, means to support the arbor at one end, the arbor having a diametral slot in the other end arranged in a helix of the same hand and substantially the same lead as the screw thread, and means to rotate the arbor inone direction to form a bundle thereon and in the opposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom.

6. A cobble bundler comprising a substantially horizontal rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, a comparatively heavy roller mounted above the arbor to force the stock into firm engagement therewith, the roller being free to move upwardly as the bundle increases in diameter, and means to rotate the arbor first in one direction to form a bundle thereon which engages the screwthread and then in the opposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom axially.

7. A cobble bundler comprising a rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, a casing enclosing the arbor, the arbor and casing being relatively movable in an axial direction, and means to rotate the arbor first in one direction to form a bundle thereon which'engages the screw-thread and then in the opposite direction'to discharge the bundle therefrom axially.

8. A cobble bundler comprising a substantially horizontal rotatable arbor having a screw-thread thereon, a casing enclosing the arbor, the arbor and casing being relatively movable in an axial direction, a comparatively heavy roller mounted in the casing above the arbor to force the stock into firm engagement therewith, the roller being free to move upwardly as the bundle increases in diameter, and means to rotate the arbor first in one direction to form a bundle thereon which engages the screw-thread-andthen in theopposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom axially.

9. A cobble bundler of the type covered by claim 8, in which the casing is provided with an opening at the front for the ejection of the bundle and abottom wall which slopes downwardly toward the opening. 1

10. A cobble bundler of the type covered by claim 8, in which the casing is provided with an opening at the front for the ejection of the bundle and a pair of spaced side walls which flare outwardly in a downward and forward direction.

11. A cobble bundler comprising a substantially horizontal arbor having a screw-thread thereon, a casing enclosing the arbor, apair of rails extending parallel to the arbor, wheels rotatably secured to the casing and resting on the rails, and

.means to rotate the arbor in one direction to form a bundle thereon and in the opposite direction to discharge the bundle therefrom.

12. As an article of manufacture, an arbor for a cobble bundler having ascrew-thread thereon and a slot in one end arranged in the helix of the same hand as the screw-hand.

13. As an article ofmanufacture, an arbor for a cobble bundler having a screw-thread thereon and a diametral slot 'in'one end arranged in a helix of the same hand and substantially the same lead as the screw-thread.

CHARLES W. HAWTHORNE. 

